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The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 26,000 investigative stories.

Most of our stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center directly at 573-882-3364573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need.

Search results for "molester" ...

KCRA-3 found that the state of California was clearing people with arrests for child molestation, sex abuse of a minor, elder abuse, arson, even murder to work in daycares, elder care facilities, nursing homes and foster homes. The state would clear people to work who had multiple arrests and then investigate later. Yet those investigations took months, sometimes years to complete. As a result of our investigation the department changed their policy and a new state law was signed that would prevent the department from changing their policy back. No longer are people with arrests for violent crimes simply cleared to work and then checked later.

By Kevin Oliver; Dave Manoucheri; Millicent Ozdaglar

A 1999 Florida law passed after a 9-year-old boy was raped and murdered is supposed to protect the public by keeping the most dangerous sex predators locked up after their prison sentences end. But a Sun Sentinel investigation found the state’s safeguards broke down at every stage, setting rapists and child molesters free to harm again. Investigative reporter Sally Kestin and database specialist Dana Williams mined multiple data sources, using the state’s own records to reveal a horrific picture of recurring tragedy. The failures they uncovered prompted lawmakers to initiate the most comprehensive overhaul of Florida’s sex offender laws in more than a decade.

By Sally Kestin; Dana Williams; Mike Stocker; Rachel Schallom

In 2012 and early 2013, three Catholic priests were removed from duty at parishes in Rhode Island after credible allegations of sexual abuse against them surfaced. Several adult victims came forward to report assaults that happened decades earlier. In each case, the Diocese of Providence sent a letter describing the abuse and the circumstances to Rhode Island State Police. But because of Rhode Island's brief Statute of Limitations, as short as three years in some cases, there was no way to prosecute the priests criminally. Victims were also unable to bring civil lawsuits in most cases. NBC 10 wanted to know how many other Rhode Island priests had been credibly accused of sexual abuse but never charged with child molestation or rape. While the Diocese of Providence is not subject to public records laws, Rhode Island State Police maintained copies of the letters and must comply with the state's open records regulations. Over a six month period, public records requests revealed 45 letters sent to State Police by the Diocese during the past decade. The letters gave new insight into what victims experienced and how they were treated once they came forward. They also raised questions about why some cases were apparently reported to State Police, while others were not.

By Katie Davis

A 41 Action News investigation discovered one of the nation's leading youth organizations did not report suspected child sexual abuse to authorities, allowing accused molesters to avoid punishment and putting other children in harm's way. During a five-month investigation, 41 Action News reviewed dozens of Boy Scouts of America’s "perversion files" from 1971-1991 with ties to the Kansas City area. During our analysis of the files, intended as a blacklist to keep convicted and suspected pedophiles out of Scouting, we conducted interviews with alleged victims, spoke with a long-time Scouting leader, and tracked down men who had been kicked out of the organization after sexual abuse allegations surfaced.

By Ryan Kath

In the late fall of 2011 the investigative team at KGTV in San Diego, California began examining a culture of secrecy inside one of America’s most trusted youth organizations: The Boy Scouts of America. The series of reports, which aired in May and July 2012, revealed scout leaders knew about child molestation within scouting but rarely reported it to authorities. The local reporting triggered a national investigation by our newly established Scripps national investigative bureau based in Washington, DC. The Scripps national investigative team reviewed 30,000 pages of the Boy Scouts secret files with dates ranging from 1970 to 1991 to uncover the full scope of abuse throughout the country. The national team’s investigation resulted in a 3 part series that focused on the scope of the abuse throughout the country; the systematic failures that allowed the abuse to continue; and the state of scouts today. The series aired in all 13 Scripps broadcast markets and 13 Scripps newspapers. The broadcast packages and print articles were showcased on all 26 Scripps websites along with other online elements to provide our online audiences with an immersive interactive experience to explore our findings. This entry is focused on the broadcast portion of the project.

By Jon Paepcke

Through our investigation we found that a teacher, that was convicted of sexually molesting a student, was accused of a similar offense years before, but the report was not acted upon. We confronted former board members about the issue to find out why they did not remove the teacher from his position. Their answers were startling and exposed a process that is now in question.

By Tom Allen

In August 2006, caregivers at the Sonoma Developmental Center found dark blue bruises shaped like handprints covering the breasts of a patient. Jennifer accused a staff member of molestation and her injuries appeared to be evidence of sexual abuse. Big projects often have smaller narratives within them that can be developed into standalone features that draw readers into the larger story. Clearly Jennifer’s story was one of those. Presenting this story in video format was particularly challenging because Jennifer and her mother did not want to be identified. We chose a graphic narrative approach, with a voice actor reading the transcript of the mother’s interview. The artist consulted photographs and diagrams of the Sonoma Developmental Center to ensure that the drawings were accurate.

By Carrie Ching, Ryan Gabrielson

Decades ago, California created a special police force to patrol exclusively at its five state developmental centers – taxpayer-funded institutions where patients with severe autism and cerebral palsy have been beaten, tortured and raped by staff members. But California Watch found that this state force, the Office of Protective Services, does an abysmal job bringing perpetrators to justice. Reporter Ryan Gabrielson, a Pulitzer Prize winner, exposed the depths of the abuse inside these developmental centers while showing how sworn officers and detectives wait too long to start investigations, fail to collect evidence and ignore key witnesses – leading to an alarming inability to solve crimes inflicted upon some of society’s most vulnerable citizens. Dozens of women were sexually assaulted inside state centers, but police investigators didn’t order “rape kits” to collect evidence, a standard law enforcement tool. Police waited so long to investigate one sexual assault that the staff janitor accused of rape fled the country, leaving behind a pregnant patient incapable of caring for a child. The police force’s inaction also allowed abusive caregivers to continue molesting patients – even after the department had evidence that could have stopped future assaults. Many of the victims chronicled by California Watch are so disabled they cannot utter a word. Gabrielson gave them a resounding voice. Our Broken Shield series prompted far-reaching change, including a criminal investigation, staff retraining and new laws – all intended to bring greater safeguards and accountability.

Uncovering allegations of child molestation and other forms of sexual abuse by Robert Dodd, longtime president and CEO if Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), eventually resulting in the firing of Dodd from the organization.